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The political climate in Adamawa State is heated up as the state House of Assembly serves Governor Murtala Nyako an impeachment notice
By Ben Adaji/ Yola
For well over a week, the Adamawa State House of Assembly and the state Governor, Murtala Nyako, a retired Rear Admiral, were locked in a bitter feud. However, on Monday last week, the lawmakers decided to take the battle to Nyako by serving him with an impeachment notice.
The notice containing 23 points of gross misconduct and mismanagement of public funds to the tune of over N13 billion, was signed by 20 out of the 25 members of the Assembly. Aliyu Isa Ahmadu, Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, who moved the motion for adoption of the impeachment article urged his colleagues to view the article with all the seriousness it deserves in the interest of the people of the state. While presenting the notice, the Deputy Speaker held that by the powers vested on the Assembly by Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, 20 members of the Assembly accordingly signed the impeachment article in compliance with Section 188, sub section (2) (a) and (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. According to Ahmadu, Nyako had committed acts of misconduct in the performance of his duties. Also contained in the impeachment article was Nyako’s alleged procurement of $50million loan, an equivalent of N6billion, with repayment period of 34 months at N248million net per month, which would amount N8,432,000,000.00, thereby subjecting the state to unnecessary financial burden. The impeachment notice alleged that the governor obtained a loan from Zenith Bank plc to the tune of N5billion, with repayment rate of N457,211,021.49 per month, without the authorisation of the state House of Assembly, contrary to Section 120 (2) (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution.Also contained in the notice was the allegation of illegal and unauthorised deductions from the joint account of local governments, thereby starving the councils of funds and forcing them to rely on overdraft from banks before paying salaries. The notice accused Nyako of indulging in fictitious and frivolous, inflated contracts and spending of public funds outside the budget. The Governor was also accused of establishing an unconstitutional agency named Special Project Directorate and appointed his children, Rabi Nyako, Maryam Nyako, Hassan Nyako, Dr. Murtala Nyako as coordinators and Abdul-Aziz Nyako, a serving Naval Commander, as the General Overseer. The lawmakers accused the governor of fictitious release of funds and diversion of same for unexecuted projects. This includes N35, 209,125.00 meant for the purchase of the Speaker’s vehicle, N60million to enable government to facilitate free medical care to the people, and another N60miilion death gratuity in respect of one Abdul Isah. The governor allegedly cornered the money.
Aside from these, the Assembly members had been locked in a battle with the Governor over his alleged high-handedness and disrespect to them. For example, the Assembly members, including top PDP stalwarts in the state, kicked against the appointment of Alhaji Bello Tukur as Chief of Staff, Government House Administration. The lawmakers objected to the appointment but the governor stood firm. Both lawmakers and state PDP officials have accused Tukur of manipulating the governor to the detriment of the state. Also, the Assembly members were not happy with the recent removal of Chief John Manasah as Secretary to the State Government. They protested that if the governor must remove Manasah, then Tukur who is referred to as the de facto governor must be removed. But their protest yielded no result. TheNEWS investigation revealed that Nyako, shortly after his re-election last April, plotted to remove James Barka on three occasions as Speaker of the Assembly but was unsuccessful. According to sources, Barka had vowed to pay him back.
In a swift reaction to the impeachment notice, Aminu Yawa, Principal Special Assistant to Nyako on Media, linked the impeachment move by the lawmakers to the governor’s position on the local government primaries that just took place in the state. Yawa said the Governor did not allow the lawmakers to plant their stooges during the primaries, but elected to allow popular candidates to emerge. Yawa described the impeachment move as unconstitutional, arguing that all the allegations were belated, as actions the governor was being accused of were taken during his eight months administration that was annulled by the election petitions tribunal. Meanwhile, after a closed-door meeting between Nyako, the Speaker and the National Executive of PDP in Abuja Wednesday last week, the Speaker was directed to go back and get his colleagues to drop the impeachment notice against the governor. Nyako, on the other hand, was directed to go and address areas of conflict, including the sack of his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Bello Tukur.
lanre9d
30 June 2008 19:00Murtala-nyako, you think you can do the same thing you’re doing as an officer…the state eyes are on you.
Nnana Ibe from Ohafia
4 July 2008 13:38It is a shame that all the so called public office holders are criminals who are hell bent on enriching themselves while those who elected them suffer is abject poverty and pernury.In any case I should think that the judiciary or so called judges aid and abet these greedy act cos even if they are taken to court,they will be granted bail and there ends it all.Nyako should repent face the axe of God the creator.
Musa Ahmadu
5 July 2008 09:24The house of assembly members in Adamawa state must be appreciated by all for taking the bull by the horne to reveal these criminal acts exhibited by theappointed governor (Murtala Nyako, baba mai mongoro as they call him). The governor is a disgrace to the entire people of nigeria. PDP shame on you for for insisting that the impeachment sager be reversed. The presidency, on its own part, should as a mather of urgrncy revert from 7-point agender to 6, since it could not prove to the world that a currupt governor like that of Adamawa State to be brought back as the governor again. They could have insisted to that the appointed governor answer the allegations leveled against him. Kudos house of assembly members, you are fair enough not to have asked that the hand or leg of the appointed governor not be amputated, nor did you ask of his head. if somebody’s hand is being armputated for stealing a gaot, then such conduct by the appointed governor should attract cutting of his head. Musa Ahmadu (Yola, Adamawa State)